Vaginal syringe



11, 1966 A. L. POTTS ETAL 3,223,395

VAGINAL SYRINGE Filed Oct. 18, 1962 INVENTORS ALBERT L. POTTS JOHN R.TULLY FIGB ATTORNEY United States Patent Ofiice 3,228,396 Patented Jan.11, 1966 3,228,396 VAGINAL SYRINGE Albert L. Potts, 2901 Monroe, andJohn R. Tully, 2305 E. Chandler, both of Evansville, Ind. Filed Oct. 18,1962, Ser. No. 231,481 2 (Ilaims. (Cl. 128-232) The present invention isdirected to certain new and useful improvements in vaginal syringes.

The major purposes of the present invention are to so construct andarrange a vaginal syn'ng that economical manufacture thereof ispermitted, thus enabling economical disposability of the unit, to soarrange the nozzle and actuating bulb for the cleansing fluid used withthe syringe that the bulb is easily filled while at the same timeenhancing convenience in the use of the syringe, and to so construct theunit that physical damage during use of the syringe is minimized, theseand other purposes being more fully set out in the course of the ensuingspecification and claims, when taken with the accompanying drawings, inwhich:

FIGURE 1 is a side view of the syringe constituting the presentinvention;

FIGURE 2 is a plan view of one element utilized in the assembled syringeof FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a sectional View of the element illustrated in FIGURE 2 andtaken along the section lines 33 of FIGURE 2;

FIGURE 4 is an enlarged side view of the nozzle or stem utilized in theassembled syringe of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 5 is a sectional view of the nozzle or stem illustrated in FIGURE4, and taken along the section lines 55 of FIGURE 4; and

FIGURE 6 is a diagrammatic view of the syringe in disassembled conditionand illustrating the compactness of the assembly for ease in packaging.

Like elements are designated by like characters throughout thespecification and drawings.

With particular reference now to the drawings and in the first instanceto FIGURE 1, the numeral 10 generally designates the elongated andstraight nozzle, shaft or stem of the assembled syringe. Nozzle 10 is ahollow tube, and as is seen more particularly in FIGURES 4 and 5,includes an enlarged end portion 11 which is defined by angularly spacedribs 12, which are equally spaced about the axis of the nozzle and whichradial dimensions such that they are positioned outwardly of the innerportion 13 of the nozzle. The valleys 14 between the ribs areapproximately equal, in radial dimensions, to the cross sectional radialdimensions of the remainder 13 of the nozzle.

Nozzle 10 includes spaced apertures 15 in the enlarged end portionthereof which apertures are positioned in the innermost portions of thevalleys 14. These apertures 15 are spaced inwardly from the extremeouter end 16 of the nozzle by a distance of approximately one-half inch/2) for reasons that will appear more fully hereinafter. These apertures15 extend inwardly through the tubular wall of the nozzle 10 so as toestablish communication with the hollow opening 15a extending along thelongitudinal axis of the nozzle. As is illustrated in the drawings, .twosuch apertures may be positioned in each of the valleys 14.

The inner end 17 of the nozzle is tapered slightly so as to enhance africtional engagement within a bore 18 of a connecting plug 19. Bore 18has a uniform diameter. This friction fit provides a sufiicient sealbetween the nozzle and plug. Connecting plug 19 includes a second bore20 which extends at right angles to the bore 18 and which is incommunication therewith. Plug 19 has a generally circular cross sectionand a height on the order of its width, as is particularly seen inFIGURES 2 and 3. The lower end of plug 19 includes a flange 21 extendingcircumferentially thereof so as to hold the neck 24 of a bulb 22thereon.

The lower end surface 23 of the plug 19 is formed somewhat as aninverted conical surface so as to enhence the positioning of the neckportion 24 of the bulb 22 over the flange 21.

Bulb 22 may be generally balloon-like in formation and may consist offlexible and expandable material. Materials which are suitable in theformation of the bulb 22 are rubber-like materials or thin walledpolyethylene plastic materials. These materials have a natural shapewhich is collapsed, as in FIGURE 6, while they may be expanded whenfilled with liquid as in FIGURE 1. The neck of the tube-like bulb mayterminate in a reinforcing bead 25 which is illustrated in FIGURE 3. Thematerial used in the formation of bulb 22 should, of course, be slightlyresilient to enable a more or less snap fitting over flange 21.

The entire assembly is so formed that it may be easily assembled anddisassembled. The unit may be shipped in an unassembled condition as isillustrated in FIGURE 6. Bulb 22 is easily fitted to the connecting plug19 simply by snapping the open neck of the bulb over the flange 21. Whenso fitting the neck of the bulb over the flange, bead 25 may be broughtto bear against the inclined surface 23 and gradually forced outwardly,thus expanding the neck until the head 25 snaps over the retainingflange 22. The resiliency of the bead 25 and the neck portion of thebulb create a sufficiently tight fit with the flange as to substantiallyseal the connecting plug and bulb together during use. Nozzle 10 iseasily inserted into bore 18 so as to provide a frictional engagementtherewith, which engagement provides a relatively sturdy connection.

All parts of the assembled unit may be formed from inexpensive materialsand packaged in the unassernbled condition. Connecting plug 19 andnozzle 10 may be readily formed from molded plastic. Bulb 22 may beformed from a rubber-like or resilient plastic material through amolding process quite similar to the formation of toy balloons.

By virtue of the right angular disposition of the nozzle 10 with respectto the connecting plug 19 and bulb 22, bulb 22 may easily be filled whenthe nozzle 10 is removed, through opening 18. The sidewise dispositionof this opening 18 enhances convenience in the filling of the bulb forthe reason that the bulb and plug are then naturally held in a somewhathorizontal position beneath a filling faucet instead of the more or lesscustomary filling of such bulbs with the bulb in a vertically suspendedposition beneath a faucet. The angularity of the nozzle 10, which isformed along a straight axis with respect to bulb 22, also providesconvenience in the use of the syringe. In this regard, the dispositionof the bulb, when in use, is naturally upwardly with respect to the plug19 for ease in manipulation of the bulb and at the same time enhancing amore or less gravitational flow of liquid through nozzle 10.

When so used, the straightness of the nozzle tends to dispose itnaturally towards the back of the user, thus tending to minimize contactwith the cervix uteri, which contact can provide physical damage. Theupward and right angular disposition of the bulb, when in use, aids inthis same result. Any upward pulling force on the bulb, which may resultduring squeezing thereof to expel the cleansing fluid therefrom, tendsto tilt the nozzle away from the uterus.

It should be noted that the positioning of apertures 15 away from theouter end 16 of the nozzle also tends to minimize the possibility of thecleansing fluid entering the cervix uteri since these apertures, duringnormal use, will be positioned away therefrom.

It should be noted that by positioning the apertures in the valleys ofthe enlarged ribbed portion of the nozzle, some space is providedbetween these apertures and the walls of the vaginal canal, thus tendingto minimize any build up in pressure. The spaces allow suflicient spacefor the flow of the cleaning liquid without building up pressure withinthe canal which can be hazardous from a medical standpoint. The innerend portion 13 of the nozzle 10, which is also smaller than the ribs,also tends to minimize any build up in pressure. Connecting plug 19presents a curvilinear surface which curves away from the entrance tothe vaginal canal and thus also minimizes any obstruction wihch wouldtend to build up pressure within the canal.

The unit is so formed that it may provide a relatively gentle flow ofcleansing liquid within the vaginal canal and outwardly therefrom.

Whereas we have shown and described an operative form of the invention,it should be understood that this showing and description thereof shouldbe taken in an illustrative or diagrammatic sense only. There are manymodifications in and to the invention which will fall within the scopeand spirit thereof and which will be apparent to those skilled in theart. The scope of the invention should be limited only by the scope ofthe hereinafter appended claims.

We claim:

1. A vaginal syringe including a fillable, disposable, flexible tubularbulb having a natural collapsed shape and a nozzle connecting member,said bulb having a resilient end portion and an opening in said endportion, said connecting member having an annular flange at one endthereof and formed around a fluid passage through the member, said endportion of said bulb being positioned over said flange in a removable,resilient sealing engagement therewith, thereby enabling insertion andremoval of said plug from said bulb, said member having a hollow nozzleextending transversely with respect to the axis of said passage at theother end thereof, said nozzle having a tapered inner end removably andfrictionally seated in a bore in said connecting member, said bore beingformed about an axis extending transversely with respect to the axis ofsaid passage and being in communication with said passage, said nozzlehaving outlet apertures in communication with the hollow interiorthereof, said bore, said passage and said bulb.

2. The structure of claim 1 wherein said bore has a uniform diameter toprovide a wedging frictional engagement with said tapered end of saidnozzle.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 697,412 4/ 1902McMurran 128-239 X 758,673 5/1904 Meinecke 128-232 1,064,307 6/ 1913Fleming 128-239 1,089,595 3/1914 Sopha 128-232 1,145,520 7/1915 Smith128-239 2,047,437 7/ 1936 Sinkler 128-239 2,075,577 3/1937 Gerhardstein128-232 X 2,987,223 6/1961 Armour 128-232 X 3,154,075 10/1964 Weckesser128-251 FOREIGN PATENTS 13,813 1900 Great Britain.

810,967 3/1938 France.

1,110,485 10/ 1955 France.

References Cited by the Applicant UNITED STATES PATENTS 214,552 4/1879Connable. 2,568,915 9/1951 Friedman. 2,664,891 1/ 1954 Kempel. 2,664,8931/1954 Kempel. 2,815,753 12/1957 Hoflman et al. 2,925,084 2/ 1960Brewer.

RICHARD A. GAUDET, Primary Examiner.

JORDAN FRANKLIN, Examiner.

1. A VAGINAL SYRINGE INCLUDING A FILLABLE, DISPOSABLE, FLEXIBLE, TUBULARBULB HAVING A NATURAL COLLASED SHAPE AND A NOZZLE CONNECTING MEMBER,SAID BULB HAVING A RESILIENT END PORTION AND AN OPENING IN SAID ENDPORTION, SAID CONNECTING MEMBER HAVING AN ANNULAR FLANGE AT ONE ENDTHEREOF AND FORMED AROUND A FLUID PASSAGE THROUGH THE MEMBER, SAID ENDPORTION OF SAID BULB BEING POSITIONED OVER SAID FLANGE IN A REMOVABLE,RESILIENT SEALING ENGAGEMENT THEREWITH, THEREBY ENABLING INSERTION ANDREMOVAL OF SAID PLUG FROM SAID BULB, SAID MEMBER HAVING A HOLLOW NOZZLEDEXTENDING TRANSVERSELYL WITH RESPECT TO THE AXIS OF SAID PASSAGE AT THEOTHER END THEREOF, SAID NOZZLE HAVING A TAPERED INNER AND REMOVABLY ANDFRICTIONALLY SEATED IN A BORE IN SAID CONNECTING MEMBER, SAID BORE BEINGFORMED ABOUT AN AXIS EXTENDING TRANSVERSELY WITH RESPECT TO THE AXIS OFSAID PASSAGE AND BEING IN COMMUNICATION WITH SAID PASSAGE, SAID NOZZLEHAVING OUTLET APERSAID BORE, SAID PASSAGE AND SAID BULB.